Echo
by Zephyr169
Summary: Echo is the girl at the back of the class, the girl no one knows, the girl who mumbles to herself. She will make some friends her sixth year. Friends that will change her life forever. Rated T for some blood and violence.


**AHH! I cant believe it's been so long since I updated. and now I have another story. Okay so I've been having some major writers block with Loki's Youth and Witches of Midgard but I will work on them this weekend! Now this is my first Harry Potter fan-fic. I hope you enjoy it. *-***

It was the first day of sixth year. The sky was dark and cloudy and I rushed to board the train. I took a quick glance around at the muggles to make sure I wasn't being watched. Satisfied I ran at the wall pushing the trolly in front of me. There was a brief moment of fear before I was through the wall and on the other side. I looked up at the darkening sky and the deserted platform. I raced along down the cobbled walkway till I reached the storage units. I opened the door and lugged my heavy trunk inside. I shoved it into the closest open space I could find and whipped back to the door, my ebony hair smacking me in the face as I flew out the door and down the platform. I ran over to the passenger cars and flung open the large metal door. I hurriedly closed it behind me and I made my way down the crimson colored hallway looking for and empty compartment.

_Come on! There has to be one somewhere!_

I had reached the last one and saw another sixth year sitting alone staring out the window.

_This will have to do._

I knocked on the glass to grab the teens attention. When he turned his ice blue eyes my way I cracked open the door and whispered my request.

"Could I sit here? Everywhere else is full." I tried to keep my voice even and strong.

The boy nodded and returned his gaze to the outside world. I gave a small smile as thanks and sat down opposite him and also turned my attention to the window. I tried to ignore the insistent tugging on my sleeve. After a few moments the train lurched forward and we sped away down the tracks toward the school of witch craft and wizardry. I turned back to the boy in front of me. He had short blond hair, ice blue eyes, and an almost regal demeanor; or at least he had one. Now he seemed sad and nervous. I gathered my courage and sent him a smile.

"What's your name?" I asked.

Silence.

_Okay. Awkward._

I turned my attention back to the window. After a few moments there was a quiet reply.

"Draco. What's yours?" his voice was soft and hoarse as if he'd been crying.

"Echo. My names Echo." I told him.

After six years here in this school, someone finally asked me what my name was. I was never very popular, or known for that matter. I was the kid at the back of the class, the end of the table, the kid who had no friends and would occasionally mutter to herself. In short, I was the kid no one had anything to do with. I sat there with a small smile on my face as I turned back to the window.

"Why are you smiling?" Draco's voice startled me out of my daydream.

"What?" I asked.

"Why are you smiling? I just asked you for your name." he was genuinely curious.

"Well, it's just that, no ones really asked me before. For my name that is." I replied not sure how to go about explaining that.

"Oh. I see."

And that was that. After a few hours of silence Draco nodded off into a fitful sleep. I turned to my right and nodded. The spirit beside me unveiled herself and smiled. When I was a little girl I had one friend, one very close friend. Her name was Maribel. She was short with dark brown hair and freckles all over her. One day when we were only around six years old, Maribel and I had decided to play wood elves. We started to climb the largest tree in our backyard forest. We raced up as fast as we could. I didn't want her to win so I cheated. I bumped her foot so she would slow for a second. Maribel stopped and looked down at me with a smile.

"Hey, be careful. We don't want to get hurt." She said, her voice soft and melodic.

I nodded and continued to climb, ashamed at what I had done. There were only a couple more branches left and I stretched my arms till I gripped the topmost branch and hauled myself up. I turned around to see Maribel right below me smiling brightly.

"You won. Congrats Echo." she said.

I nodded my thanks and we started to head back down. She was the first to make it to the bottom.

_Oh how I wish it could have been me. _

I was still hidden in the leaves and was quite a ways up. There was a loud crack as a man with short greasy hair walked into the small clearing around the tree. I froze. Maribel looked at the man and stood her ground as he approached.

_She should have run._

I watched in horror as Maribel crumpled to the ground in a flash of green light. The dark figure of the man walked away into the forest. When I was sure he was gone I raced down the tree and turned Maribel over. I felt her neck for a pulse and drew back with a gasp at the frozen touch of her skin. I cradled her head in my lap and cried for my one best friends death. After a while I got up and dragged her body back to my house and told mother and father what had happened. They shared a worried glance and took me to bed. The next morning I didn't leave my room. I sat in my bed with my covers over my head crying. I felt a soft tug on my arm and looked over at a pale, see-through, Maribel. I gasped in surprise and my eyes went wide. I had witnessed her death, so was this, her ghost? I stared at her and smiled as she gave me a hug.

"Hey, stop being so sad. Now no one will see me when we go on adventures." Maribel said with a smile.

That's just like her. She always see's the bright side to everything. Even death. I smiled and hugged her tighter. No one ever saw her. She would always disappear when someone was too close. However she was always there. Always with me. So even still, I guess you could say I had one friend. I gave Maribel a hug and we had a whispered conversation about how great this school year would be compared to the others. I just nodded and smiled my spirits were raised a little by the prospect of having a better year. Maribel did that. She always knew how to make me smile. I turned back to Draco who started to mutter in his sleep. I cast Maribel a worried look and slowly made my way over to the other side of the compartment. Sitting down next to Draco I looked again at Maribel who had a frightened look on her face.

_What do I do?_ I mouthed to her.

She shrugs in response and disappears. I sigh and turn back to Draco who began to fidget. I looked at his face once almost devoid of expression, scrunched up in fear and pain. He lets out a small cry of pain and clutches his side, removing his grip from his left arm. My eyes widen as I saw red seep through his white shirt. I reached over and grabbed his hand, gently pulling it away from his wound. I lifted his shirt and saw the large gash that stretched from the back of his shoulder to just above his waist. I looked back up at him as he let out another cry of pain and I saw a small cut on his cheek bone appear. The blood spilled down his face. I took his shoulders and shook him sighing in relief when his eyes opened. They were wide and filled with fear. I took out my bag from the overhead compartment and grabbed some bandages. I turned around and handed them to Draco as he stood up holding his side. He nodded his thanks and left the compartment. I sat down and looked over at Maribel who looked just as frightened as I felt. After ten minuets Draco came back in and pulled out his bag and found another shirt.

"Do you mind if I change in here?" He asked, his voice rough.

"Not at all." I replied and pulled out a book to read.

When he sat down he looked out the window for a few minuets then turned to me.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"I said I was sorry." I could tell he didn't like apologizing.

"No. I meant why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything." I clarified.

He looked shocked and slowly turned back to the window. There was a moment of silence then a boy dressed in his robes came over and knocked on the compartment door. I looked up and he told us that we needed to change into our robes. I gave him a smile and a nod then stood up and retrieved my robes from my bag, Draco doing the same. Then I left to find the bathroom.

After I changed I went back into the compartment and found that Draco and all his belongings were gone.

_He left. _

I sighed and sat down. I picked up my discarded book and put it back into my bag. I zipped the small green carry-on closed and looked over at Maribel. She sat there giving me a small smile. I smiled back, but I could tell she saw it didn't reach my eyes. Yes someone finally noticed me, but they ran away. Just like everyone else. I sighed again and looked out the window to see nothing but the dark stormy sky, and black silhouettes of trees. I almost didn't hear the knock on the glass behind me. I turned to see non other than Draco standing there in his green Slytherin robes. I stood up and opened the door for him and he gave me a once over. I was a Gryffindor. He sat down and I looked out the window once more.

"Crabbe took my bag. I thought someone stole it so I left." He told me.

"Oh. I see." I replied.

_Was it that obvious that I didn't want him to leave?_

The train came to a stop and I saw other students filing off past the compartment. When it was clear we grabbed our stuff and left. I took in a deep breath of the cold night air and made my way over to the carriages. I passed the ones filled with people and stopped to pet one of the thestrals. It nuzzled my hand and I smiled as I stroked it's flank then jumped inside the empty carriage. Draco followed me in and gave me a confused stare.

"What?" I asked him.

"What were you doing outside?" He asked.

_He saw me pet air then. Great._

Only people who have witnessed the death of someone can see the thestrals. I looked away and contemplated what to say.

"So you can see them too?" He asked.

His voice was hesitant and I turned to see him staring at one of the thestrals pulling another carriage.

"Y-ya. I can." I said.

He sighed relived.

"Good. I thought I was going crazy." He said.

I smiled. When we arrived at the school, I jumped out of the carriage and petted the thestral. Then we headed inside along with everyone else. I made my way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down, people vacating a couple spaces around me. I looked down at my hands in my lap. I felt someone staring at me and I slowly lifted my head to see Draco,on the other side of the room, giving me a small smile. I smiled back and then Dumbledore called for everyone's attention. During his speech I thought that maybe this year wouldn't be as bad I had thought.

**Okay, love it, hate it, please tell me. If you want me to continue tell me. ^-^**


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